O.K. Hold on . hold on here.

Wait!

First of all.

"The Stars and Bars" is not the flag you all are thinking of. Please look up the Stars and Bars- it is most assuradely NOT that red affair crossed with 11 white stars in an X of Blue that comes to mind ala Ku Klux Klan Rallies and Harmless Southren Boys' bumper stickers and den wall hangings. But "The Stars and Bars" was the ACTUAL confederate governmental flag. Period. The X-one is a battle flag and only for certain regiments in the field. Only amoung our gathering dimness has it all come to be supposed to mean nastiness and deliberate attempt at race-baiting. It is actually The Stars and Bars which should have served those racists and baiters and blowhards like Hith and some of you all.

But you want to continue calling the Red Crossed flag "The Stars and Bars" which it is not.

O.k. Secondly- about the U.S. Civil War NOT being about slavery?

This question has been faced by James McPherson, Bruce Catton, Shelby Foote, John Y. Simon and about one thousand other Civil War scholars. Folks, the U.S. Civil War happens to be THE most written about topic of all U.S. History Topics- perhaps THE topic of all Titles written in the U.S. overall- not related to The Holy Bible. These scholars' singular , or near singular voice says: " No U.S. Victory- NO ABOLITION." period.

A peace conference near the end of the War featuring Confederate Vice President Stephens and other cabinet members with the help of Lincoln aides actually did float (vaguely) the conditional, provisional acceptence of a cease fire pending Southern abolition. As low as the South was at that moment, Stephens and Company dismissed the condition out-of-hand " No U.S. Victory- NO ABOLITION!" period.

The greatest battle of that horrible war war actually a ballot battle- November 5, 1864.

A vote for Lincoln continues the war through Confederate surrender- a vote for George B. McClellean begins the process of accomodating the South's desire to continue slavery ands succeed in the due course or order within their plans. Lincoln won in part because of Sherman and the fall of Atlanta, Sept.9, 1864. General McC.'s campaign ploatform was to allow the south to continue succession and slavery. A democratic win that November would have kept the U.S. a divided, slavery-confused nation (Brazil did not abolish untill the 1880's). But slaveholding (and slavery defending) candidates had we aplenty- beginning with nearly every signator or our great documents and several of our serving presidents- so any vote for any of them would have also meant a vote for racism, division and social injustice, right?

With all of the titles- all such good sellers still- authors , some long gone- Why the heck don't you all just pick up one or two of them instead of flaming and making big fools of yourselves on an almost-related topic like the sometimes sober Mister Hitchens' here at hand?